Increasing Student Engagement in an Online Setting

Abstract

As our society becomes increasingly “technology savvy”, students are requesting more online course offerings from college and universities. Postsecondary enrollment in distance education courses has increased (Allen and Seaman, 2013). This mandates a change in how instruction is delivered. For subject areas where personal interaction is crucial for student success (i.e., teaching, counseling, and administration), this change provides challenges since the online instructor does not get to see how his/her students interact with others. This paper examines differences in face to face interactions which occur in a brick and mortar setting versus online courses. Best practices and recommendations are examined